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En regardant le mur de la prison d'en face
Jul. 8th, 2011 12:11 amIn the evening, after leaving the library, I had a drink with a friend (who is also a colleague although she's newly retired), D., in a café nearby. We were chatting when a van passed by. It wasn't just a van but one of those dark blue vans that is followed by a police car, a van full of prisoners. Seeing those vans always gives me the chill. The prison of La Santé is located in the neighbourhood -- it is the last prison intra-muros meaning in the centre of Paris, the others are in the suburbs -- so they were obviously going there.
I told D. that one of the most unforgettable and moving memories I kept from our previous "fights" -- id est strikes and demonstrations -- together, was that day we were marching Boulevard Arago (in 2003, I think) as if we owned the city (walking on the road in Paris is one of the joys of demonstrating!) and while we were walking alongside the prison, the inmates started screaming and then went on yelling slogans with us. We could even see papers that they waved at the tiny windows. D. remembered it quite well too.
The feelings it stirred in me are very difficult to explain. In that moment, we were connected to the prisoners, in a way, for they wanted to be part of our protestation, and I remember that some people in the demonstration were "happy" and felt as if there was a sort of solidarity going on between the inmates and the protesting teachers that we were. They even replied and waved at the prisoners whom we could not see. And perhaps there was something like that indeed, but at the same time the men behind the wall sounded like something alien, beasts in cage screaming their rage, and the wall between us was more obvious than ever. Most fo the time it's so easy to forget what happens behind those walls, to be oblivious to that other world in there, but that day the prisoners demanded to be seen, they made it impossible for us to forget.
And tonight on ARTE there was that beautiful movie by Pablo Trapero, Leonora, about pregnancy and motherhood in prison, starring the amazing Martina Guzman who was also in Trapero's Carancho last year.
It's a strange coincidence and it put me in a strange mood tonight before bed.
But maybe the universe is just trying to tell me that I must buy the DVD set of the 6 seasons of OZ that is currently half-price on Amazon!
I told D. that one of the most unforgettable and moving memories I kept from our previous "fights" -- id est strikes and demonstrations -- together, was that day we were marching Boulevard Arago (in 2003, I think) as if we owned the city (walking on the road in Paris is one of the joys of demonstrating!) and while we were walking alongside the prison, the inmates started screaming and then went on yelling slogans with us. We could even see papers that they waved at the tiny windows. D. remembered it quite well too.
The feelings it stirred in me are very difficult to explain. In that moment, we were connected to the prisoners, in a way, for they wanted to be part of our protestation, and I remember that some people in the demonstration were "happy" and felt as if there was a sort of solidarity going on between the inmates and the protesting teachers that we were. They even replied and waved at the prisoners whom we could not see. And perhaps there was something like that indeed, but at the same time the men behind the wall sounded like something alien, beasts in cage screaming their rage, and the wall between us was more obvious than ever. Most fo the time it's so easy to forget what happens behind those walls, to be oblivious to that other world in there, but that day the prisoners demanded to be seen, they made it impossible for us to forget.
And tonight on ARTE there was that beautiful movie by Pablo Trapero, Leonora, about pregnancy and motherhood in prison, starring the amazing Martina Guzman who was also in Trapero's Carancho last year.
It's a strange coincidence and it put me in a strange mood tonight before bed.
But maybe the universe is just trying to tell me that I must buy the DVD set of the 6 seasons of OZ that is currently half-price on Amazon!